University of Michigan Wins Solar Car Challenge Again

Posted on August 7, 2008  Comments (5)

photo of UMichigan's Solar Car

U-M wins North American Solar Challenge for the fifth time

The University of Michigan’s Solar Car Team won the North American Solar Challenge, crossing the finish line in Alberta, Canada on Tuesday after more than 50 hours of racing over nine days.

The car averaged around 45 mph and led from the first day, besting 15 university teams that raced the 2,400-mile course from Plano, Texas to Calgary. Continuum finished about 10 hours before the second place team.

The North American Solar Challenge normally takes place every other year in the same year as the world race, but in 2007 its previous sponsor backed out. The race’s future was in question until Toyota took over the sponsorship.

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5 Responses to “University of Michigan Wins Solar Car Challenge Again”

  1. Anonymous
    August 12th, 2008 @ 7:19 am

    The market for photovoitaic raises and raises here in Germany of 40 percent a year. In my eyes it´s the only sustainable and efficient way to to obtain energy. Maybe the solar-car races contribute to this development, maybe even ignite it, but there is still none of the automobile-companies that really showed an engagement on it. A sponsorship by toyota is too less, much to less in my eyes!

  2. Monica
    August 14th, 2008 @ 10:03 am

    What an amazing feat to achieve this. An average of 45 mph is quite some speed and to cover 2400 miles in 9 days must have taken a lot of grit and determination.
    Also well done to Toyota for having the foresight to take on sponsorship for the team!

  3. Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Green Technology Innovation by College Engineering Students
    April 25th, 2010 @ 1:33 pm

    […] University of Michigan Wins Solar Car Challenge Again – Collegiate Inventors Competition – $10 Million X Prize for 100 MPG Car by […]

  4. Anonymous
    August 22nd, 2010 @ 11:13 pm

    Wow U Michigan has won again in 2010! Great job. I’d be curious to know the prize amount in 2008. Having a major corporation such as Toyota involved is great…but when are the domestics like General Motors and Ford going to support these events?

  5. micheal dene
    October 26th, 2010 @ 3:21 am

    A great achievement but why is photovoltaic parts still so expensive, forget about solar powered cars, what about solar powered homes, the will is defintely there to makea difference but the cost is just so prohibitive. I have also looked at electric cars but they are very slow, I hired a megavan from tyese guys and the top speed was 25mph but I coudl only manage 20mph. I also lost my charging lead so had to take my fuel guzzling car to get another one!

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